Rent-A-Girlfriend
by Handoverthebooty
Summary: Max Caulfield doesn't really seem to be the popular type. Victoria, the social outcast, couldn't agree more. A deal is made, and maybe something more.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: ok so i have no idea how this website works, but i almost have this completed on ao3, so i figure why not post it here too? reviews are nice if this seems to be your thing :D this is basically a role reversal au because i suck at original ideas. i hope its ok!**

 _Chapter 1_

"How much?"

Those were the first words that Victoria Chase said to Max Caulfield. Max was minding her own beeswax, as usual, when the wannabe-queen-bee just waltzed over to her desk and spoke to her like _Max_ was the scum of the earth. It was the other way around, if you asked most people.

"Huh?" Max replied, confusion leaking into her tone. Victoria glared down at her.

"I said, how much?" She dragged the words out way too slowly, like Max was stupid or something. Jesus, she'd heard stories of how annoying Victoria was, but assumed they were just exaggerated. All she'd gotten so far from the stuck-up loner was a glare or two.

"How much for what?"

"You." Victoria answered immediately with no shame whatsoever.

What did she just say-

"WHAT." Max blurted out loudly, alerting several of their classmates, who were now staring. Fantastic.

"I'm not going to repeat myself, Caulfield." The vicious way Victoria uttered her name would be more effective if there wasn't a slight tinge of red to her cheeks now. Max was honestly confused as all fuck. Was...Did...

"Are you trying to pay me to have sex with you?" Victoria's already flushed face reddened further. "Oh my god, you totally are!"

"Shut up!" Victoria hissed, avoiding the stares of, well, pretty much the entire classroom at this point. "That's not what I'm doing. What a narcissistic thing to assume."

Her sneer really didn't go well with her face. She had a kind of modern beauty, Max could admit that she was good-looking. Pretty eyes, a nice jawline that went well with her pixie-cut. The nasty glare she was sporting kind of spoiled it.

"Well, asking the amount of what _I_ cost sounds like prostitution." Max could be rude too damnit. That was rude, right? Totally. Kate would probably gasp in a scandalized manner if she saw.

"I'm not trying to fuck you." The Queen Bitch deadpanned. "I...need something from you."

"Like what?" Max prodded, curious despite herself.

"I need," Victoria was being awfully slow and dramatic. "for you to pretend to date me."

"...What."

"I'll pay."

"You are trying to buy me, what the hell-"

"It isn't like you'd do it for free!"

What the actual shit was happening? Max's brain wasn't built to understand the bitchy complexity that is Victoria Chase. She'd never even said a wordto Max, nor an insult until today, and now she just strolls over and tries to basically buy Max. Universe, God, whatever's controlling the way things go, you are one confusing motherfucker.

"No." Max replied simply.

"Why the hell not?" Victoria clearly didn't expect to be shot down. Ah, the woes of being a spoiled-ass rich kid.

"Because I don't wanna." Max said cheerfully, giving a shit-eating grin up at the girl.

Victoria was silent. Face red, probably from irritation instead of embarrassment, she looked at Max's camera sitting on her desk like she was planning on setting fire to it. Max resisted the urge to cradle it protectively against her chest. After a moment or four of silence, it was beginning to get awkward.

"What if I said I'd pay you five-hundred dollars?"

Max's eyes widened comically, and if she had been drinking something, an epic spit-take would've surely gone down. emFive hundred dollars./em That's...Her mind couldn't process the amount of money she was being offered to 'pretend date' someone. That could buy a lot of film. Polaroid's were fucking expensive when it came to that. She could buy Kate that huge rabbit cage she'd been wanting for her bunny, she could...

But she couldn't, because she wasn't taking the deal.

"What about a thousand?" Max asked instead of turning her down immediately, mostly just wanting to fuck with her.

"Fine."

Well then. Once again, if Max had any liquid in her mouth, it'd currently be all over her desk and Victoria's chimmy choo's.

"Look, Caulfield," Leaning down so she could be quieter, Victoria spoke when it was clear that Max wasn't going to reply. "Would you just consider it? I'll pay two-thousand if you're really that reluctant."

Mr. Jefferson walked in while Max was still trying to fully comprehend the situation she was in.

"Come to my dorm room if you're interested." Victoria returned to her desk without another word, and wow did that sound like an innuendo if Max has ever heard one.

Max _was_ interested. As sad as it was, she needed the money. Asking her parents for extra wasn't an option, so this would help greatly. She still wasn't taking the offer! Max was just interested in why Victoria would even want to do something ridiculous like that. Yep. Totally.

She was ashamed to say that she ended up at Victoria's door as soon as her last class ended.

Max knocked twice briefly, deciding she'd only wait a minute for Victoria to answer the door. Then she could book it back to her room and pretend this never happened. The door flung open not a second later, like she'd been waiting or something. But that was preposterous.

Victoria was practically radiating smugness, staring down at Max with a smirk. Damn those two inches she had on her in height. Damn them to hell.

"So you are interested, hm?" The words were practically purred, Jesus Christ.

"Yeah, just rub it in, why don'cha?" Max sighed. Victoria's smugness didn't wane, and she opened the door wider and stepped aside to let Max enter. She complied after a moment of hesitation. No need to be scared, it was just Victoria. All barks and bitching and no actual biting.

Shutting the door, Victoria practically emstrode/em over to her bed and sat down, acting like she owned the place or something. Well, she did, actually. Max just stood there, feeling every bit as awkward as she had this morning with Victoria. She really did have a knack for making people uncomfortable, didn' t she?

"You can sit, you know." Victoria rolled her eyes. "I don't bite."

Max sat down at the edge of her bed stiffly. She didn't bother to reply.

"So, you're interested, right?" Victoria broke the silence again.

"I...guess." Max admitted. "I still don't plan on accepting, but why would you want to offer me that _outrageous_ amount of money just to 'pretend date' you?"

It sounded even sadder when she said it out loud. Victoria didn't have many friends, besides that Nathan kid who people avoided because he had a habit of going on rants at random and also being a douchebag. Was she really desperate enough to pay someone to give her attention?

"Because," Victoria avoid Max's eyes, smugness gone and replaced with embarrassment. "I...want to be more popular, okay?"

"Well..." Victoria glanced up at her, clearly wanting to hear a yes. "That's shallow as all hell."

Max stared at her, praying that she could realize the stupidity of this entire fucking situation. Was she really willing to pay someone thousands of dollars for popularity. Was this actually happening, oh my god.

"Wanting friends isn't shallow." Victoria said softly, and wow, she was going for the pity card now, wasn't she. "I have a grand fucking total amount of one friend, no one talks to me, no one even likes me."

"And so dating me will somehow make you Miss Popularity?" Max asked sarcastically.

"You have the most friends."

"So?"

"So, everyone _likes_ you, dumbass! If you dated me, then they'd have to give me a chance. And maybe even eventually like me."

"That's your plan?" Max wanted to laugh, but also kind of wanted to bang her head against a wall from the sheer audacity of it. "Instead of actually trying to talk to people and make friends the right way, you're wanting to do this and you're willing to pay 2 grand for it?"

"Yes." Victoria answered with no shame whatsoever.

This was ridiculous. This was stupid. This had about a one-in-million chance of actually working. And the concept of it was shallow and idiotic. But...

The money. There was a lot of it. Was it worth pretending to be Victoria Chase's girlfriend for god knows how long? Max didn't like her, but watching her plan crash and burn would still make her feel bad. Max accepting this solely for the money would be as shallow as Victoria's plan in the first place.

"Deal."

"Really?" Victoria's eyes were wide like she couldn't believe what Max had just accepted. Max couldn't really believe it either.

"Yeah. But," Max was a terrible human being. "I'm giving you a month. That's all."

"Sure, fine, I don't care." Victoria was the happiest Max had ever seen her. She was even _smiling_ , holy fuck.

"Wanna shake on it, Caulfield?" Victoria held out her hand, smirking slyly.

"Fuck you."

"Maybe later."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: woo chapter two! ill be posting five or so of these a day since the fic is pretty much done! i hope a few people dig this dumbness heheh**

 _Chapter 2_

"What the fuc-..." Max took a deep breath. "What's this?"

"My plan, can't you read?" The ice queen herself scoffed from where she perched on her bed, relaxed as ever. Why, oh why, did she not make her room their 'meeting spot'? It would still be awkward, but at least Max would feel better in her own room.

"Yes, I'm indeed literate." Don't crumple the cursed piece of paper in your hand, Max, resist temptation- "But what I'd like to know is why you _planned_ our entire 'relationship' from start to finish?"

"So you wouldn't fuck up around people and blow the entire thing, duh."

Max was going to pop a blood vessel. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, as far from her as possible, and yet it didn't help a damn thing. This shit was too much already and they haven't even taken their fake relationship to the public. Why did she even agree to come to Victoria's room when she demanded that she do via texting? Oh, yeah, because she'd agreed to basically become Victoria's bitch. Or girlfriend. It's really the same thing when it comes to Victoria anyway. The blonde hadn't offered a single greeting when she'd answered the door, just shoved the damn piece of paper in her hands and returned to her bed to bask in her smug cloud of bitchiness. Did that even make sense? Probably not. Nothing made sense with Victoria.

"I'm kind of starting to dislike you." Her voice was bland. Victoria didn't reply, so Max's eyes skimmed the paper.

 _\- They're in the courtyard. Sitting side-by-side on the grass in front of at least twenty ot so people. Max takes out her cheap pair of earphones, and shyly offers Victoria one earbud to listen to a hipster band and Victoria smiles, taking the offered earbud and putting it in her left ear, Max doing the same with her right. The oh-so-hipster sounds of Alt-J fill their ears as their hands link when they know that people are watching -_

"The hell?"

"What, words too complicated for you?"

"Why is this written in some kind of..." Max tried to find the right word. "Fanfiction-y format?"

"Because I want to make you cringe." And there's the shit-eating grin Max didn't miss.

"Oh, fuck you."

"Check the seventh paragraph for that."

Mortified, Max's eyes betrayed her and looked down at the paper again. It only had five paragraphs. Victoria laughed as Max gritted her teeth at the utter and complete frustration that was spending more than five minutes with Victoria Chase.

"I hate you."

"Feeling's mutual, ma biche."

Max rolled her eyes. She didn't know what the last part meant, but it was probably an insult.

"You don't even speak french."

"I've taken French class for the past three years, Caulfield." Victoria frowned at her. "And that was a term of endearment, so there's no need to get your panties in a bunch, _crotte_."

"Whatever." Max was a broken woman. "So, is this plan actually serious or was it just made entirely to mess with me?"

"Both." Victoria snatched the paper away from her like she'd rip it or something. She probably would've to be honest. "I don't trust your acting skills, so I'll take the lead in all the cutesy relationship things."

"So I'm supposed to just follow along to whatever you do, no questions asked?" Max asked, incredulous.

"Yep." Victoria yawned like Max was boring her, which she probably was, and raised her arms above her head in a long, languid stretch. Max refused to question why her eyes went to the sliver of bare torso that showed when her shirt rode up.

Victoria acted a bit different when just Max was around, she noticed. More relaxed. A lot less uptight too. Did that mean she was relaxed enough around Max to be herself? She was still a raging bitch though, so maybe not. Max wasn't sure which Victoria she disliked more, the uptight bitch or the relaxed and still pretty bitchy Victoria.

"People aren't going to like you if it looks like you're totally in control of me, you know." Max shrugged. "But, hey, if you wanna fuck up your thousand-dollar plan, then feel free."

Max hated the idea of following Victoria around like a lovestruck puppy and obeying her every command, but she feigned indifference.

"You're exactly right." Victoria said, and what the hell was she actually agreeing- "It is _my_ thousand dollar plan, so how about you don't question it, Caulfield?"

Nevermind.

"...When do we start?" She almost didn't want to ask.

"Monday." That was two days away, holy fuck she wasn't ready. "I'll give you half the money then, and the rest after the month's over."

Feeling like the worst person alive, Max just nodded.

"This is your last chance, though."

"Last chance to what?" Max asked, eyebrow raised.

"Back out." Victoria's stare was making her somewhat uncomfortable. "So I'm going to ask you, one last time. Are you positive you want to do this?"

Max felt like maybe she should be asking Victoria that exact question. She hesitated, eyes firmly on Victoria's probably-overpriced comforter. Was she sure she wanted to do this? Is she this shallow enough to actually accept?

"I'm sure."

 _Goddamnit, Max._

 _ **TRANSLATIONS:**_

 _ **Crotte: feces (yes she called max a turd)**_

 _ **ma biche: my doe**_


	3. Chapter 3

Max was at a state of maximum comfyness right now. She was somewhere in that spectrum of being somewhat alseep and somewhat awake, and it was _nice._ Not asleep enough to be unaware, and not awake enough to worry about how today was the day that she officially becomes Victoria's bitch. Nope, no worrying. Yet.

Pulling her blanket more securely around her shoulders, Max felt herself drifting off again...

 _Vrrrr_

Max shifted a little.

 _Vrrrrrrrrr!_

Eyebrows scrunching, she turned over and curled in the fetal position.

 _VRRRRRRRRRR!_

"The hell?" She finally muttered, voice hoarse. The vibrating continued, and her hand fumbled for her phone. Fuck, where did she leave it...

It vibrated again, and she realized she felt the vibrations to the left of her cheek. The fucker was under her pillow. Fingers closing around the phone, Max sat up and turned it on. She was immediately blinded by the screen brightness. Max blinked rapidly and repeated a few choice curses in her head before turning the screen brightness way, way down. Then she noticed the number of messages she had.

Ten? What the hell? Did something happen? Opening her messages, she braced herself.

[Victoria 5:46AM: come to my room right now]

[Victoria 5:47AM: and be dressed in something vaguely presentable so i can be seen with u 2day]

[Victoria 5:54AM: an answer would be nice, caulfield]

[Victoria 5:59AM: are you still asleep]

[Victoria 6:04AM: earth to hippie!]

[Victoria 6:02AM: caulfield]

[Victoria 6:07AM: hipster]

[Victoria 6:08AM: mon amour}

[Victoria 6:09AM: princesse]

[Victoria 6:11AM: hey, oh jolie tas d'merde, hOW ABOUT ANSWERING UR MESSAGES THAT'D BE NICE]

Max sighed. It was too early for this. Out of curiousity, she copied the last bits of french she'd typed and put it into google translate. It translated to something about feces and love. Well, either that was very innacurate or Victoria had a fetish.

[Me 6:13AM: Why do you need me to come to your room?]

The reply was almost instant.

[Victoria 6:13AM: IT AWAKENS.]

Another message came before she could reply.

[Victoria 6:14AM: because i need to make sure you look presentable, duh]

[Me 6:15AM: You aren't my mother, you can calm tf down.]

Max typed again quickly in case she got spammed with rants again for being snarky.

[Me 6:15AM: but fine, whatever. Can you just come to my room instead?]

[Victoria 6:16AM: i bet it smells like gym socks and hipster body-spray]

[Victoria 6:16AM: ill be there in a second]

When she said a second, she really meant it apparently, because she was at Max's door no more than thirty seconds later. 3 brief, hard knocks that somehow conveyed her annoyed impatience. Impressive. Max yawned, walking over to her door and opening it slowly just to be annoying. There, the wannabe popularity Princess stood. Immaculately dressed too. Not a hair out of place or one damn button left unbuttoned on that expensive-looking cashmere. Way to make Max feel even more inadequate. Well, she did have a plant, something that Victoria didn't have in her room. So that's...something.

"Caulfield." Victoria's stare looked more like a glare. Probably because it was.

"Hmm?" Max hummed, moving aside to let her in. Fuck articulate replies in the morning.

"Why the fuck are you in your Pajamas?"

"Huh?" She looked down at herself and wow, yep, she completely forgot the whole 'change before Victoria gets here' thing. Whoops."...Oh."

Victoria's glare didn't lessen.

"I forgot to change." Like that wasn't obvious.

"Really? I hadn't noticed." Victoria facepalmed. She actually facepalmed at Max. "Jesus, Just get dressed."

"Now?"

"No, tomorrow." She said sarcastically. "Yes, now. Strip."

Max stared at her. It's the first day of their fake-relationship-thing-whatever, and she's already being overwhelmed and sexually harrassed.

"Not with you watching!"

"No need to be self-conscious, we're both girls here." That leer looked downright terrifying on Victoria's face. "But fine, I'll turn around."

She did just that, tapping her foot impatiently all the while. Max grumbled to herself and walked to the closet after a moment. What would Victoria deem 'appropriate'? A T-shirt would probably get the boot immediately. An unwashed hoodie might just make her call off the thing altogether. So Max settled on a button-up that happened to be a nice plaid color, and some jeans. Would boots be too casual? Did Max even own boots? Would Victoria approve? Why did she even care? So many questions that would go unanswered.

Max took a quick peek behind her. Victoria was still turned away. So she quickly slipped her shirt off. It might be gross, but she didn't bother changing her bra. For one, she wasn't about to have the goods out and about with Victoria fucking Chase in the room, and two, she was just plain lazy.

"Wow, grey? That's boring."

"Huh?" Max replied, confused. Wait...She glance down. Her bra is grey.

 _Oh my god._ Max peeked again, face red as hell, and Victoria wasn't turned away anymore. No, she was actually staring. Very obviously at Max's chest.

And that was how Victoria ended up getting a worn converse shoe thrown at her face.

"Wha-" Victoria dodged the shoe, and it hit the wall with a bang. "Why the hell did you do that?!"

"Why the hell were _you_ staring at my chest?" Max fired back, hurredly buttoning up her shirt while Victoria was distracted. "Turn back around, jesus!"

"I wasn't!" Kate would wash her mouth out with soap for being a _liar_. Max hurredly put on the jeans after Victoria turned around again. No need in her seeing _that_ too.

"You were!" Deep breaths, Caulfield. "I literally caught you staring, Victoria."

"Lies and vicious rumors." She sniffed. "Can I turn around now?"

"Gonna perv on my elbow too if I say yes?" Max asked, half-serious.

Victoria didn't bother answering. Turning around, she gave Max a long once-over that made her feel more than a little self-conscious.

"It'll do." She said finally. Max was really swimming in the praise. Victoria had the best compliments, really, she sure did know how to make her (fake) girlfriend feel special. "Now come on, it's past 6:30."

"Fine." Max sighed and raked a hand through her hair. Who needs brushing when you've got fingers, right? "But I have a question first."

"Well? Out with it."

"Can my room be our meeting place-base-thing?" She asked.

"Why?" Victoria asked, eyebrow raised. Even her eyebrows were on point, goddamnit.

"Because I like my room better than yours?" Honesty was the best policy.

"Charming." Victoria sneered. "Sure, I don't care. Seeing your pathetic excuse for a living space makes me feel more comfortable about my lack popularity anyway. Now can we please go?"

"Well since you asked so nicely," Max mumbled sarcastically, putting the strap of her bag around her shoulder and grabbing her phone. Victoria and her walked, side-by-side, down the dorm hallway and out the door. The courtyard was full of students either half-asleep or trying their best to shovel down breakfast as fast as possible before they had to go to class. They all stared when Victoria and Max were in sight.

Max jumped when Victoria suddenly grabbed her hand. She almost tried to snatch it back on reflex, but held back. This was part of the plan. Just follow whatever Victoria does and don't question it or complain. No matter how frustrating and slightly degrading it was.

Max was already ready for this to be over with.

 **TRANSLATIONS:**

 **Princesse: Princess**

 **jolie tas d'merde: lovely piece of shit**


	4. Chapter 4

They both somehow made it to class without Max's hand falling off from being gripped too tightly, or Max just screaming "NOPE." at the top of her lungs and then running all the way back to Seattle so she wouldn't have to face Victoria Chase anymore. Fortunately, neither of those possibilities came to light. Max walked through the courtyard and tried to give a smile to the many, many people staring.

Victoria's steel grip on her poor fingers forced Max from her dorm, all the way to her first period. She and Victoria didn't share that class, thank god. Max stood at the door of the classroom awkwardly. She couldn't exactly move yet. Victoria still had her hand.

"You gonna let me go to class anytime soon?" Max mumbled, flushing slightly when Victoria ran her thumb up and down Max's own a few times. What was the point of that? It wasn't like most, if any, of the students would notice such a small thing. No one had even walked into the classroom and seen them yet! Maybe she was doing it to just get a reaction out of Max. Welp, it was working.

"Patience, Caulfield." Victoria said cheerfully. Damn her.

"We look stupid just standing here." Max tried not to scowl.

"We could engage in some PDA if you're up for it."

"Fuck you."

"That's the spirit." The shit-eating grin makes an unsurprising and unwelcome appearence once again. Max didn't dignify her words with a reponse.

After a few moments of silence, more students entered the building. Which meant that Max got stared at more. Great. Victoria didn't even fidget under the scrutinizing stares. Who was supposed to be the unpopular one again? Even though it could turn into downright cockyness in a split second, Max had to respect Victoria's confidence. Or envy. Mostly envy.

Victoria let go of her hand. Max was relieved to see that she could still feel her fingers. She was free! Well, for about 50 minutes. Victoria was in her next period. Actually, Victoria was in about four of her periods, damn it.

"I have to be going now," Max was confused as to why Victoria actually looked sad, until she realized that they'd basically attracted a small crowd. Guess it was time to play it up. " _Au Revoir, Maxine."_

Max was going to give an awkward goodbye and then book it into the classroom, but Victoria stopped her by leaning in. Max leaned back a fraction. Was she actually trying to...? Max's mind promptly screamed "FUCK NO" as she turned her head. Victoria's lips touched her cheek. At least it wasn't her lips. Max still blushed a bright red and smiled awkwardly at the people _who were still staring_. This felt slightly voyeuristic. The fact that Max couldn't help but notice that Victoria smelled like strawberries wasn't helping her blush fade.

Finally, Victoria leaned back and gave her a smile that could've actually been mistaken for genuine. After her eyes roved over Max's face and settled on her cheek, the smile morphed into more of a smirk, for some reason. With that hell of a goodbye, the wannabe-queen waltzed away to whatever class she had for first period. Max sheepishly walked past the crowd of voyeurs and into her first period. She could've sworn she heard a giggle or two, but brushed it off. It most likely wasn't directed at her.

She'd never been so happy to get straight into chemistry. At least now she could avoid questions from her friends, or even from random nosy strangers. A snicker could be clearly heard from a desk or two behind hers. Once again, she thought nothing of it.

The teacher, Mrs. Freeda, walked in after a moment. Walking to her desk, she got her clipboard out for roll-call.

"Alex Hall?"

"Yo,"

"Alyssa Anderson?"

"Present."

"Brooke Scott?"

"Here."

The names went on and on for a while. Max yawned, propping her chin on her palm. You'd think the teachers would be able to recognize who was and wasn't here by now.

"Maxine Caulfield?" Fighting the urge to wrinkle her nose at the use of her full first name, Max responded, "Here."

The teacher, as she did with most students, glanced up for a moment to make sure it really was Max (Several students had a habit of calling out in place of other students, for no other reason then to be complete dickbags.) and her eyes widened.

"Maxine, is that...cosmetic choice," What. "On purpose? Is this something the kids are doing these days?"

"Excuse me?" Max smiled nervously. "I'm a little confused, ma'am. Is there something on my face?"

"You didn't know?"

"I...didn't." She could feel her face heating up. "May I be excused to the bathroom, ma'am?"

The teacher nodded her approval, and Max all but ran out of the classroom and into the bathroom.

"Now, what the hell is on my face..." Max mutters and looks up to meet her reflection in the mirror. "...Oh my god."

There, on her cheek, was a lipstick print.

It stood out in bold red against her cheek, like a mark of possession. Max watched her own face pale a few shades, and then flush a startling red in a matter of seconds.

She was going to fucking _kill_ Victoria Chase.

After ten minutes of rigorous scrubbing, she returned to the classroom. Her cheek was rubbed red from trying to get the lipstick off, but her cheeks were just as flushed so it was hard to see.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: jfc max ur homo is showing put that away**

Max decided about ten minutes into her first period that she couldn't wait till second period to yell at Victoria about the lipstick thing. So she'd just sneak her phone out and yell at her like that. Text-yell, or something. She quickly pulled her phone out of her pocket and snuck it under her desk.

[Me 7:28AM: i hate u so much}

Wasn't the more grammar-driven texts she usually did, but she was trying not to get caught. She raised an eyebrow when she got a reply almost immediately. Was Victoria waiting for her incoming rant-texting or something? Couldn't be.

[Victoria 7:29AM: was wondering when you'd notice]

[Me 7:32AM: i didnt notice. the teacher did. actually the entire class noticed before i did]

[Victoria 7:34AM: oh my god poor you]

[Victoria 7:34AM: jk im laughing at u at this very moment]

Max was going to type a short, sweet, and sarcastic reply, but she was interrupted a firm call of, "Maxine, what is it that you think you're doing?"

 _Fuck._

"Hm?" She looked up innocently. "Nothing, Ma'am."

The teacher pursed her lips. Max was fully prepared to take a nice ol' trip to the princepal's office, but Mrs. Freeda merely sighed.

"You're a good student, so I'll let this slide." Oh, thank god. "Just don't let me catch you with your phone out again, or there will be consequences, Maxine."

"I won't." Max smiled sheepishly. "Thank you, ma'am."

She put her phone away and didn't bother trying to reply to Victoria. The Popularity Princess could wait 30 minutes or so.

The rest of class went by relatively alright. Max still didn't grasp half the material that was taught, but that wasn't surprising. Chemistry was Warren's shtick, not hers. Max wasn't the most colorful crayon in the box in general, or however that saying goes. Her grades weren't embad/em, just average. A few C's and B's. Now that she thought about it, most of the things about herself were really average. Common haircut, bland clothing style, average grades...

And yet, most people got along with her. Just proves that being nice can get you pretty far in life. At least people like Victoria aren't popular. The stereotypical rich-bitch bully being popular sounded like the cliche to end all cliches. Max didn't acknowledge the fact that referring to Victoria as a bitch made her feel slightly guilty.

She was pulled away from her daydreaming by the shrill sound of the bell. Most students practically ran out, which was weird. They'd just have to go to another boring class, so why rush? Highschoolers were weird as hell.

Max got up and grabbed her bag, fetching her phone from it. She raised an eyebrow when she saw several texting notifications. Either it was Warren, wanting to geek out about something or Victoria decided to spam her again. She glanced down at the texts as she walked out of the classroom and into her next.

[Victoria 7:36AM: ur lucky anyway. that lipstick costs more than your entire outfit.]

[Victoria 7:42AM: the silent treatment, caulfield? never thought youd be the petty type]

[Victoria 7:47AM: next time ill make sure to leave something else on you, just a little more permanent ;)]

[Victoria 7:49AM: that was a hickie joke but you obvs dont get it so idk why I bothered]

[Victoria 7:53AM: caulfield]

[Victoria 7:55AM: ...]

[Victoria 7:56AM: I'm sorry.]

[Victoria 7:59AM: I rly am. i shouldnt have put the mark on you in the first place so i guess im sorry.]

[Victoria 8:02AM: so now that ive apologized, can you please quit ignoring your girlfriend?]

Max felt a strange, warm feeling as she read over the texts one more time. Victoria thought she was mad at her and actually apologized? She'd also called herself Max's girlfriend, holy shit. Instead of feeling repulsed like she _should_ , Max's cheeks reddened slightly and she almost smiled before she remembered that this was Victoria, the bitch who was using Max to buy her way into popularity. Not her cutesy girlfriend. Max ignored the treacherous part of her brain that reminded her how shallow it was to accept Victoria's offer because of the money. Now's not the time, brain.

Victoria was totally being sarcastic when she used 'girlfriend' anyway. Max was getting blinded by her good looks and unexpected apology. Totally. Definitely.

She started typing out her reply.

Backspace. Type. Backspace again.

Why was this so hard? Max stopped and settled by her locker so she could concentrate on the texting without bumping into someone.

[Me 8:07AM: I wasn't ignoring you. The teacher caught me.]

She bit her lip, hesitant.

[Me 8:08AM: Your girlfriend accepts your apology.]


End file.
